Burndown Chart Template
A sprint burndown chart template that tracks ideal vs actual remaining work. See at a glance whether the sprint is on track, ahead, or falling behind. Includes a daily tracking table, scope change log, and visual chart mockup. Pairs with the sprint planning and sprint review templates.
What You'll Get
- Visual burndown chart — Ideal vs actual remaining work plotted day by day
- Daily tracking table — Day-by-day remaining hours with variance column
- Scope change log — Document when and why scope was added or removed mid-sprint
- Sprint health indicators — Quick visual signals for on-track, at-risk, and behind
- Velocity reference — Compare current sprint burn rate to team average
Download the Template
Get the burndown chart template in PDF format.
No email required. Free to use and share.
Burndown Chart Template Preview
| Day | Date | Ideal | Actual | Variance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Mar 10 | 72 hrs | 72 hrs | 0 | Sprint start |
| Day 1 | Mar 11 | 64.8 hrs | 68 hrs | +3.2 | Slow start — environment setup issues |
| Day 2 | Mar 12 | 57.6 hrs | 60 hrs | +2.4 | API work started |
| Day 3 | Mar 13 | 50.4 hrs | 55 hrs | +4.6 | Blocked on design review |
| Day 4 | Mar 14 | 43.2 hrs | 50 hrs | +6.8 | Design review completed, back on track |
| Day 5 | Mar 17 | 36.0 hrs | 42 hrs | +6.0 | Good progress on frontend |
| Day 6 | Mar 18 | 28.8 hrs | 38 hrs | +9.2 | Scope added: +4 hrs (see change log) |
| Day 7 | Mar 19 | 21.6 hrs | 30 hrs | +8.4 | Integration testing |
| Day 8 | Mar 20 | 14.4 hrs | 22 hrs | +7.6 | Bug fixes |
| Day 9 | Mar 21 | 7.2 hrs | 14 hrs | +6.8 | Final testing |
| Day 10 | Mar 21 (EOD) | 0 hrs | 6 hrs | +6.0 | Sprint end — 6 hrs carried over |
| Date | Change | Hours Impact | Approved By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18 | Added payment validation edge cases | +4 hrs | Product Owner |
| — | — | — | — |
| — | — | — | — |
What Is a Burndown Chart?
A burndown chart is a visual representation of work remaining versus time in a sprint or project. The X-axis is time (usually days), and the Y-axis is remaining work (hours or story points). Two lines tell the story: the ideal burndown — a straight diagonal from total committed work down to zero — and the actual burndown, a jagged line showing real progress day by day.
When the actual line sits above the ideal line, the sprint is behind schedule. When it dips below, the team is ahead. A sudden upward jump in the actual line almost always means scope was added mid-sprint. The gap between the two lines at any point tells you exactly how far off-pace the sprint is, in hours or points, making burndown charts one of the fastest ways to spot delivery risk early.
How to Read a Burndown Chart
On track
Actual line roughly follows the ideal line. Normal daily variation is expected — some days the team burns more, some less. As long as the lines stay close, the sprint is healthy.
Ahead of schedule
Actual line consistently below the ideal line. The team may have over-estimated or under-committed. Good news for this sprint, but consider committing more next time.
Behind schedule
Actual line consistently above the ideal line. The team is completing work slower than planned. Identify blockers early and consider removing lower-priority items from the sprint.
Scope creep
Actual line jumps UP mid-sprint. Work was added without removing something else. Flag this immediately — uncontrolled scope additions are the most common reason sprints miss their targets.
Burndown Chart vs Burnup Chart
Burndown Chart
Shows remaining work decreasing over time. The Y-axis starts at total committed work and should reach zero by sprint end.
- • Good for: tracking sprint completion
- • Shows: are we on pace to finish?
- • Limitation: doesn’t clearly show scope changes
Burnup Chart
Shows completed work increasing AND total scope. Two lines: work done (rising) and total scope (may also rise if scope changes).
- • Good for: longer projects with changing scope
- • Shows: how much we’ve done AND how scope has changed
- • Advantage: scope changes are visible as the total line moves
Track Sprint Burndowns in Corcava
- Sprint burndown reports generated automatically — from task completion data
- Scope changes tracked — when tasks are added or removed mid-sprint
- Team velocity calculated across sprints — for better estimation
- Export burndown data — for client or stakeholder reporting
Maps to: Projects, Kanban, Time Tracking, Reporting
Tracking sprint health is one piece of the profitability puzzle.See how delivery tracking fits into the full profitability lifecycle →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a burndown chart used for?
Tracking remaining work in a sprint or project against time. It shows whether the team is on pace to complete all committed work by the sprint end date.
How often should I update the burndown chart?
Daily. Update it at the end of each working day or during the daily standup. Stale data defeats the purpose.
What causes the burndown line to go up?
Scope was added mid-sprint. Someone committed new work without removing existing items. This is the most common signal of scope creep in agile teams.
Should I use hours or story points?
Either works. Hours are more intuitive and directly tied to billing. Story points abstract away individual speed and focus on relative complexity. For agency work where you bill hourly, hours usually make more sense.
What's a good sprint completion rate?
80-90% of committed work completed per sprint is healthy. Consistently hitting 100% likely means the team is under-committing. Consistently below 70% means estimation needs work.